Toledo Mud Hens, Walleye reorganize top management

The Detroit Tigers’ top farm team last week reshaped its top management.

The Toledo Mud Hens said team President Joseph Napoli now also will be the minor league baseball club’s CEO.

He’ll cede his general manager role for the Mud Hens and its sister hockey club, the Toledo Walleye, to others.

Napoli, who also worked for the Chicago Bulls and the Tigers, has been team president since 1998.

He also has been president of the Walleye, an East Coast Hockey League club affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings, since the team’s 2009 inaugural season.

In his new role, Napoli will focus on long-term growth opportunities for the two organizations and the Toledo region, the team said in a statement.

That includes the $21 million renovation of several buildings on St. Clair Street near the baseball and hockey teams’ homes, Fifth Third Field and Huntington Center.

The intent is to turn the long derelict structures into dining, shopping and recreation spaces. The project is nicknamed Hensville.

Photo

Erik Ibsen

“Joe’s commitment, drive, and leadership has been instrumental in elevating the Mud Hens and Walleye from sports teams to community treasures, said Mike Miller, chairman of the board for the Mud Hens and Walleye, in a statement.

As part of the change, Napoli sheds his role as general manager of the two teams. In his place will be Erik Ibsen (Mud Hens) and Neil Neukam (Walleye). They also were both promoted to executive vice president.

“Both Ibsen and Neukam have been integral to our success. Combined they have over four decades of experience. They began their sports careers as interns with the Mud Hens progressing within the organization, taking on more responsibility. Erik and Neil were instrumental in getting Fifth Third Field, Huntington Center, Hensville built and Walleye established,” Miller said.

Ibsen has spent 20 years in the Mud Hens front office, including past 10 years as assistant general manager.

He’ll continue to lead ticket operations for both teams.

Neukam joined the Mud Hens organization in 1993 and most recently served as assistant general manager for corporate partnerships. In that role, he helped the clubs ink naming rights deals for Fifth Third Field and Huntington Center, the Mud Hens said.

The Mud Hens are owned and operated by the nonprofit Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club Inc., which in turn owns Walleye through the nonprofit Toledo Sports Arenas Inc.

Photo

Neil Neukam

The unusual ownership structure was inaugurated in 1965 when Lucas County formed a nonprofit corporation to buy and manage a team. A volunteer board of directors appointed by the county board of commissioners owns and operates the team, with the county as the ultimate financial benefactor.

In its most recent minor league baseball team valuations, Forbes.com in 2012 estimated the Mud Hens were worth $22 million, with operation income of $3.6 million on $11 million in revenue.

The Mud Hens have been the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate since 1987. The clubs’ current relationship runs through 2016.

Before the Tigers, the Mud Hens (including past iterations of the team) were affiliated at various times with the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Braves, St. Louis Browns and New York Giants.

The Mud Hens and Tigers also had an affiliation from 1949-52 and from 1967-75.

Major- and minor-league teams have what’s called a player development contract that runs two or four years. Under such a contract, the Tigers pay the salaries and benefits of Toledo’s players and coaches and for equipment such as balls and bats. The Mud Hens are responsible for team travel and other operational expenses.

Detroit regularly calls up Mud Hens during the season and sends major-league players to Toledo for injury rehab assignments and to improve performance.

The team plays at 10,300-seat Fifth Third Field, which is owned by Lucas County and opened in 2002 at a cost of $39.2 million. The Mud Hens finished 69-74 in the 14-team International League last season (fourth in the West Division)

The team drew 545,265 fans last season, which was fifth in the league. They averaged 7,680 per game.